AHDB Cattle and Sheep Weekly

AHDB Cattle and Sheep Weekly - 22 June 2015

Liveweight lamb prices down on the week

After increasing last week, the new season liveweight lamb trade has begun to fall again as numbers coming to GB auction markets increase.

In week ended 17 June the NSL SQQ fell by nearly 4p on the week earlier to 188.2p/kg. However, daily prices showed a much sharper fall towards the end of the period. The NSL SQQ was down by over 14p on the week at 179.0p/kg on Wednesday 17 June, the first time the price has been below 180p/kg in 2015 so far. Despite this fall in the weekly average price, sharper falls recorded in the same week last year meant that the differential between this year and last fell to below 32p/kg.

The movement in price follows a large increase in the number of lambs being marketed this week, up by 38% on the week. Marketings in most of May and the first few weeks in June were behind levels seen in 2014 but numbers have moved above last year’s level in the past week. In week ended 17 June the number of lambs sold at GB markets was up 16% on the levels seen last year as the larger lamb crop, expected for this year, begins to be seen in the market.

In week ended 13 June deadweight prices increased again, following gains in the previous two weeks. The NSL SQQ increased by 3p on the week to reach 408.1p/kg. As prices at this time last year were falling, this reduced the gap compared to the same week in 2014 to £1.14 per kilo. However, prices do still remain well below the five year average.